new glock having some trouble handling
- Thread starter Bagels
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I have used extended Slide locks (Releases!) forever. The top Glock shooter, Paul Sevigny used one, I talked to him and was a convert.
My carry Pistol, the Gen 4 Glock 19, has only one lever, on the left side of the slide, I don't know how you would replace the dual releases your Gen 5 comes with. Call Glock in Smyrna GA, and ask them, nice people. The factory makes my slide stop/release. Used to be only made by aftermarket manufacturers, until Glock noticed how much money they were losing! Now the factory makes them.
Maybe you can get the left side only extended slide lock/release? Forget the dual release? Might need a Glock armourer to fit one?
Your Gen 5 is much improved on my Gen 4! Good luck.
My carry Pistol, the Gen 4 Glock 19, has only one lever, on the left side of the slide, I don't know how you would replace the dual releases your Gen 5 comes with. Call Glock in Smyrna GA, and ask them, nice people. The factory makes my slide stop/release. Used to be only made by aftermarket manufacturers, until Glock noticed how much money they were losing! Now the factory makes them.
Maybe you can get the left side only extended slide lock/release? Forget the dual release? Might need a Glock armourer to fit one?
Your Gen 5 is much improved on my Gen 4! Good luck.
If we established that there isn't an issue with the firearm, then why are people still suggesting mechanical "solutions" to this non mechanical problem??? The slide lock on new pistols is stiff, Gen 5 Glocks are no different. Haven't handled one yet that I couldn't activate with my thumbs or fingers. The problem is most likely the NEW SHOOTER who is NEW TO HANDGUNS. No offense to the OP but he is most likely the issue.
No internet BS here. Mr. Bickle is correct. The slide lock on Glock pistols was never designed to be used as the primary method of closing the slide. Nowhere did anyone say you couldn' use it, just that it isn't ideally suited for it. Have a look at the serrations on a Glock slide lock. They stack like the shingles on a roof, designed to provide a positive purchase when the slide lock is pushed up, not down.
Working the slide isn't outdated, it's practical and works for all semi autos. Tiny slide locks and weak or small hands makes for a difficult time when reloading. The slide works every time regardless of slide position. It also mimics your immediate action drill as well as part of your remedial action drill. The "leading" instructors you mention are more about selling speed than practicality because being really fast is really ###y and sells a lot of class slots. It also gets the competition guys all hot and bothered, as if (potentially)saving a 1/4 second on a reload will take them to the podium. I don't really care which method you use, but to say using the slide is outdated is simply false.
The other makes that have similar sized slide locks, that being over 20 wannabe Glock offerings I might add. Well I suspect they are copying the tiny Glock slide lock for one of three reasons. 1, they simply chose/choose to copy the Glock design as close as possible(without getting sued, unless you're Smith and Wesson) in hopes that it might attract Glock users or those looking for a Glock like pistol design. 2, They have no clue what they're doing and are simply copying it because it's easy, "monkey see monkey do". 3, they understand that a large obtrusive slide lock is neither necessary nor wanted by almost anyone with some level of proficiency and training.
If your post above also includes an inserted empty magazine, then yes, it will require a fair amount of force to release the slide. It is also a situation that you should never find yourself in. An empty gun should have the slide locked to the rear(provided you finished shooting). You should then discard the empty magazine, replace it with a full magazine then release the slide via the slide lock or by grasping and retracting the slide. There is no need or desire to release the slide with an empty magazine inserted. If you pull the slide back and the slide lock does not drop away, then there just might be something hinky with your pistol.
From the glock manual
"If the slide is locked in the rearward position, either press the slide stop lever (27) down to release
the slide and return it to the fully forward position or
grasp the rear of the slide at the serrations with your
other hand and pull the slide fully back and then
release it, allowing it to return to the fully forward
position."
So we can quit with the BS that the slide stop wasn't designed to be used to chamber a round
"If the slide is locked in the rearward position, either press the slide stop lever (27) down to release
the slide and return it to the fully forward position or
grasp the rear of the slide at the serrations with your
other hand and pull the slide fully back and then
release it, allowing it to return to the fully forward
position."
So we can quit with the BS that the slide stop wasn't designed to be used to chamber a round
Coming from milsurplus world of 1900-1945 guns I find the idea of breaking in new handguns amusing at least. Maybe they should start breaking them in at the factory?
As for OP gun - just exchange it as defective. No matter how contradictory my opinion about Glocks is I don't believe it's normal even for Glock.
As for OP gun - just exchange it as defective. No matter how contradictory my opinion about Glocks is I don't believe it's normal even for Glock.
As parts wear in, often when you smash your full magazine in, the slide will close, the banging in the magazine does that. A young Police Officer told me his Instructor told him to rack the slide it might have not have fed the next round?
My old G17 bought in 1984, closed every time I slammed a replacement magazine in, it always fed the next round.
My Glock 19, carry piece, does not normally close on inserting a fresh magazine, so I use the factory extended slide release (I know!) much quicker and better than taking the left hand totally off the pistol.
My latest purchase, first new gun in years, my Glock 43X, you would have to stand on the slide lock to close the slide on a fresh magazine! I broke the offending edge on the slide lock, where it contacts the slide, a little better just waiting for the new extended model, made by Glock. There are aftermarket ones made, but I will wait, plus I want 12 or 13 round magazines, to carry as a spare. Not made yet.
The age-old quandary, 16 rounds or 11 in a smaller package?
Me now weighing 204 lbs, concealing the Glock 19 is no problem. When I came out of the Army in 1956, I was 210lbs. 63 years to lose 6 lbs? Not much of a diet Aye?
My old G17 bought in 1984, closed every time I slammed a replacement magazine in, it always fed the next round.
My Glock 19, carry piece, does not normally close on inserting a fresh magazine, so I use the factory extended slide release (I know!) much quicker and better than taking the left hand totally off the pistol.
My latest purchase, first new gun in years, my Glock 43X, you would have to stand on the slide lock to close the slide on a fresh magazine! I broke the offending edge on the slide lock, where it contacts the slide, a little better just waiting for the new extended model, made by Glock. There are aftermarket ones made, but I will wait, plus I want 12 or 13 round magazines, to carry as a spare. Not made yet.
The age-old quandary, 16 rounds or 11 in a smaller package?
Me now weighing 204 lbs, concealing the Glock 19 is no problem. When I came out of the Army in 1956, I was 210lbs. 63 years to lose 6 lbs? Not much of a diet Aye?
I don't think I've ever had this issue with my gen 5 - but I'm also not sure if I've tried to drop an open slide with an empty magazine inserted. Will attempt and report back tonight.
As for the rack vs. slide stop argument, I've asked multiple instructors which method to use and why and the consensus seems to be exactly what Lugar223 quoted - IT DOESN'T MATTER. One instructor told me that the slide stop was preferred by most militaries and manufacturers up until the 40's, when Israel was created and their military was established - because they were using a multitude of different sidearms from different origins at that point, they decided to train soldiers to rack the slide to avoid nuances and differences between different pistols' slide stops. To me, this doesn't mean that using either method is incorrect, but it may depend on the firearm - and racking the slide may be a safer bet if you're deciding between one or the other.
The story above may be incorrect, as I'm going off of what "a guy" once told me, but now that that horse is beaten past dead...
As for the rack vs. slide stop argument, I've asked multiple instructors which method to use and why and the consensus seems to be exactly what Lugar223 quoted - IT DOESN'T MATTER. One instructor told me that the slide stop was preferred by most militaries and manufacturers up until the 40's, when Israel was created and their military was established - because they were using a multitude of different sidearms from different origins at that point, they decided to train soldiers to rack the slide to avoid nuances and differences between different pistols' slide stops. To me, this doesn't mean that using either method is incorrect, but it may depend on the firearm - and racking the slide may be a safer bet if you're deciding between one or the other.
The story above may be incorrect, as I'm going off of what "a guy" once told me, but now that that horse is beaten past dead...
Your entire response is nothing but the same useless internet opinions. Do you even shoot a Glock?
Slide locks/releases all lock in the same manor. It gets rammed up by the empty mags follower into a slot cut out on the slide, the same way all semi auto handguns do yet somehow you still argue that the Glocks wasn’t designed that way. This is a response argued by guys who spend more time staring and fondeling then they do shooting.
You do you, but don’t give stupid advice to others. I’d recommend finding a better training source then James Yeager YouTube videos.
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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if its good enough for Larry Vickers its good enough for me, thumb that release baby!
as for the OP when your trying to drop the slide with the slide release with a empty magazine in it it is gonna be tough.
not only are you working against the unrounded (new) slide release but you are also trying to overcome the spring in the magazine as well as the follower in the magazine is pressing up against the slide release.
so you are working against several things.
THAT SAID, im sitting here dry fire practicing with my 19X and im having no issues dropping the slide on a empty magazine.
well..... its still a hard press down but its not a 2 thumb'r by any means.
as for the OP when your trying to drop the slide with the slide release with a empty magazine in it it is gonna be tough.
not only are you working against the unrounded (new) slide release but you are also trying to overcome the spring in the magazine as well as the follower in the magazine is pressing up against the slide release.
so you are working against several things.
THAT SAID, im sitting here dry fire practicing with my 19X and im having no issues dropping the slide on a empty magazine.
well..... its still a hard press down but its not a 2 thumb'r by any means.
Guess what guys... I drop the slide release with my thumb on empty mags all the time, and you know what happens? Not a goddamn thing. It's a Glock, its not going to break or "prematurely wear". It wasn't designed NOT to be used that way. Get your head out of your ass. There are MANY shooters that will attest to the fact that their Glocks, or X autopistol has seen thousands of rounds and the slide stop still functions fine. I doubt you will find many, if any saying that their Glock prematurely wore out.
OP, take the mag out and practice using the slide release with your thumbs from a shooting grip, you need to be pressing the slide release down, towards the mag well. If you have smaller hands and are unable to reach the release you may have to break your grip and rotate you hand around slightly. In any event, I would get an extended slide lock/release lever. If you are still unable to preform this, perhaps have a friend attempt to do so. This will give you an indication that you either have a deficient pistol, or you need to do more thumb push ups.
OP, take the mag out and practice using the slide release with your thumbs from a shooting grip, you need to be pressing the slide release down, towards the mag well. If you have smaller hands and are unable to reach the release you may have to break your grip and rotate you hand around slightly. In any event, I would get an extended slide lock/release lever. If you are still unable to preform this, perhaps have a friend attempt to do so. This will give you an indication that you either have a deficient pistol, or you need to do more thumb push ups.
You need to re read what was posted. NOWHERE did anyone say the slide lock would not function as a slide release. NOWHERE did anyone say you couldn't or shouldn't use the slide lock. NOWHERE did anyone say it would wear out the slide lock. What was said and is fact is that the design of Glock pistols was such that using the slide lock as the PRIMARY means of releasing the slide was NOT BY DESIGN. Using the slide(over hand/slingshot) is the method that Glock envisioned to be used, hence the very small slide lock.
I'll do you one better, the original poster came on here asking if his gun was broken because the slide release was hard to push when the slide was back on an empty mag. Somehow this thread turned into a debate on weather to drop the slide by sling shot or slide stop, and every other argument that showed up. Got way off topic, kinda reminds me other the game "broken telephone" we played as kids.
Corey
The pistol is not broke, the new user is likely the problem. The underlying issue is the ignorant advice offered by some to rectify a non existent problem. The tertiary problem is the false information being spewed in the thread. For example, the inability to comprehend the wording of a post, thus resulting in more false information being spewed. Whether(not weather) you like it or not, facts make a difference.
THE SLIDE LOCK ON A GLOCK IS TO BE USED WHEN MAGAZINE EMPTIES,you then proceed to load a new magazine and use the slide release to chamber the next round.
The only time you should be racking the slide is when the gun is not locked back. Not only is using you’re slide release faster it is more reliable then racking the slide...
